Suggestions Needed for Copper Wire Coating

what are you applying to the wire? enamel?

Hi ... What is the quality of your basic raw material i.e. MS wire? Please make sure that it has no contaminations and no foreign body particles on it. Also please adhere to the molten bath temperature. Please check the speed of your coating, it should not be too fast. Ajit

The temperature of solution and percent of elements (Cu, Fe,..) is neccesary. You should remember that time of copper wire move in this solution is reasonable.

Glyptal

http://www.glyptal.com/Glyptal_Product_Data_Sheets.htm

The cormecial, industrial process requires the use of cyanide salts to act as a weting solution. The acid bath method is only used for non-ferrous materials.

There however one way described to over come the cyanide issue.

Make up a solution of copper sulphate using at 32oz per galon (200gs per litre.)

To make up the solution warm up 3/4 of the water and add the weighed amount of coppr sulphate and stir continuously. To the cooled copper sulphate solution add the sulphuric acid at the rate of 4.5floz per gallon add the concentrated acid slowly keeping it stired to prevent overheating. Add the remaing volume of water to give the correct finished volume. The current dencity is 4.a.s.f to 30.a.s.f this electrolyte will deposit 2.5 microns at 10.a.s.f in 12 mins or 2.5 microns at 20.a.s.f in 6 mins.

Agitation is recomended at the higher current dencities.

The bath should be at 30deg C for normal plating requirements.

For a brighter finish the following solution can be used instead.

Copper sulphate 32oz/gal Sulphuric acid 98% 1.4oz/gal Thiourea 0.020grms/gal wetting agent teepol 4ml/gal. The solution is made as before but before adding the make up water add the Thiorea and teepol. finish with the water to the final mix.

The electrolyte should be used at 23deg C. at lower temp the copper dulls.

Use phospherised copper electrodes for both baths. Agitate the bath either with a stirrer or bubble compressed air through the bath.

Make sure all parts are well degreased, and rinsed before use.To get good adhesion

first plate with nickel, the prevents the acid corroding the ferrous metals.

If the plating is poor add dilute sulphuric acid to make back the acid content of the bath.

I hope this helps you.

I hate to ask a dumb question but there are so many companies that will supply you with what ever coating you want on copper wire why would you not contact them. Tensolite in St. Augustine, Fla for 1.

sorry

You have no need to be sorry. If the guest doesn't like your inquiry he has the ability to click somewhere else. I for one enjoy CR4 for the general knowledge and the experience of the other participants. Contrary to manufacturer's beliefs they don't know everything and there has been many times we have had to come up with our own solutions to overcome their shortcomings. I thought the purpose of this forum was to help other participants with their problems.

I was always told that it is better to ask a silly question than to make a silly mistake.